Tottenham blow as Pochettino is chosen as top ‘candidate’ for Real Madrid job; Zidane hopes fade | OneFootball

Real Madrid could choose to move to Mauricio Pochettino this summer in a potential big blow to Tottenham, according to reports.

Los Blancos sacked Xabi Alonso in January after they lost to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, while there had been rumours of dressing room discontent over the Spaniard’s tactics and team selection.

Alvaro Arbeloa was immediately appointed as Alonso’s successor but there are already rumours that he could be replaced at the end of the season.

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery, Benfica’s Jose Mourinho and former Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane have all been linked with replacing Arbeloa.

And now sources have told ESPN that USMNT boss Pochettino is ‘on the shortlist of candidates’ to become the new Real Madrid head coach.

Arbeloa was ‘never really considered a long-term solution’ at Real Madrid and the Spaniard would now need ‘a miracle’ to keep the job after losing two of their last three La Liga matches.

The report adds: ‘Sources say that Madrid are evaluating different candidates to lead the new sporting project and that Pochettino is one of the coaches highly regarded by president Florentino Pérez.’

Their hopes of potentially luring Zidane back to the Bernabeu are fading with reports that he has agreed to become the new France national team boss after the World Cup.

Pochettino has also been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham as their new manager after a disastrous campaign in the Premier League.

Thomas Frank was sacked earlier this year and replaced by interim boss Igor Tudor, who has lost all three of his first three matches in charge, and there are already rumours the Croatian could be replaced before the end of the season.

Tottenham are just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League and dropping down to the Championship would definitely end their chances of appointing Pochettino next season.

Fabrizio Romano brought an update on Pochettino potentially going to Tottenham in the summer with the transfer expert rating the chances of that happening as 40 per cent.

When asked if Pochettino could leave the USMNT, Romano replied: “Now Pochettino is completely focused on the USMNT.

“It’s obviously an incredible opportunity to be the coach at the World Cup in the U.S. He’s aware of interest from Tottenham.

“At the moment, if you ask me, I think it’s really, let’s say, 40-40 between Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino, and then we leave a 20% to eventual other managers who can appear in the shortlist in the next weeks and months.

“But Pochettino is aware about the situation, aware about Tottenham fans that are still chanting his name. So for sure, there is an interest from Tottenham and the environment is still thinking of Mauricio Pochettino. But at the moment, full focus on the USMNT.”